Port Edwards' Chris Montag looks for an opening during the Blackhawks' season opener against Iola-Scandinavia on Tuesday night. Below: Port's Jacob Joslin pulls down a rebound.

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With just one senior on each squad Tuesday's season opener was a learning experience in every sense for the Iola-Scandinavia and Port Edwards boys basketball players.

And if grades would have been given out for the session, the Thunderbirds' Kristian Welch would have received an A. The freshman forward scored a game-high 19 points in his varsity debut as Iola-Scandinavia edged Port Edwards 49-45 in a nonconference game.

Welch, who was just as dangerous from 3-point land as he was in the paint, split his scoring almost right down the middle with 10 coming inside the arc and nine from beyond. His ...